Zitat

The Grand Canyon is a wonder of the world, but long lines and crowded parking lots at Grand Canyon National Park can have visitors wondering if they’ll ever get out of the car to see it.
Shuttle service from Tusayan, a mile south of the park entrance, to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center in the park can save time and stress. The service starts March 1, just in time for the busy spring-break travel period, and continues through Sept. 30.
Shuttle buses run at 20-minute intervals from 8 a.m.-9:45 p.m. daily. Riders must have a valid park pass, which can be purchased online in advance or in Tusayan at the IMAX Theater, RP's Stage Stop, Canyon Plaza Resort or Red Feather Lodge.

Avoid the long entrance line
There are several reasons not to drive into the park.
Shuttle riders bypass the long lines of cars waiting to enter. Waits can be more than an hour during the busiest times.
Parking lots often fill up by 11 a.m.
Drivers have to deal with road work in the park.
About 211,000 riders used the shuttle last year. Officials say that meant about 35,000 fewer vehicles entered the park.
"Riding the shuttles helps protect resources, reduces crowding on park roadways and reduces our carbon footprint,” Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Chris Lehnertz said in a press release. “We hope visitors and residents will continue to use and enjoy the Tusayan Route this year."

Four stops in Tusayan
Shuttle riders can park their vehicles anywhere in Tusayan. The shuttles make four stops: the IMAX Theater/RP’s Stage Stop, Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn, The Grand Hotel and Big E Steakhouse and Saloon.
Buses take riders to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center. There, visitors have easy access to walking paths, scenic viewpoints and other services. They can also hop on the free shuttle buses to hotels, trailheads, Grand Canyon Village and other highlights.

Zitat

Closures include South Entrance Road from Yavapai Geology Museum to Park Headquarters. The geology museum is open. Vehicles longer than 22 feet attempting to drive to Yavapai Geology Musuem and Yavapai Point must turn around at Grand Canyon Visitor Center.

In addition to the projects listed below, Yaki Point Road and South Kaibab Trailhead Road will also have construction. Shuttle buses will still service the Kaibab (Orange) Route, although schedules and stops may be altered.

South Rim Roads Improvement Update: Paving to begin on Village Loop Drive Thursday, April 19

Zitat

Another major phase of the South Rim Roads Improvement Project is set to begin this week, when contractors begin paving Village Loop Drive. This work, starting Thursday, April 19, is expected to take three to three-and-a-half weeks from start to finish.

Starting on April 19, all Village Loop Drive Traffic will be one-way, with all phases of paving occurring in the opposite lane. No street parking will be allowed. Visitors and residents can expect some delays associated with the work; however, all roads will be open. There will be limited access to businesses on Village Loop Drive for four to six hours on a single day the last week of the paving schedule, approximately May 2 to May 9. Two days prior to paving operations that will limit access, notices will be provided to the businesses to notify guests and service providers of specific area closures.

In addition to the paving work in Grand Canyon Village, South Entrance Road from Yavapai Geology Museum to Park Headquarters is anticipated to reopen Thursday, April 19, and traffic will no longer take a detour through the Market Plaza area. Work at the Yaki Point/South Kaibab trailhead area should be open to permissible traffic by Monday, April 23; however, milling for asphalt paving will begin on April 30. There will be no parking in the South Kaibab trailhead parking lot through approximately May 14. During the four day paving operation, anticipated to be May 7 to 11, there will be no shuttle service to Yaki Point or the South Kaibab trailhead. The closest shuttle stop is at Pipe Creek Vista, approximately one mile from the South Kaibab trailhead, via the Greenway Trail. The Maswik Lodge shuttle bus stop will be closed from about April 17 to April 23 to allow for concrete to be poured and cured.

As always in construction zones, drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists should be on the lookout for large machinery, and follow detour signs and flaggers.

Zitat

You've probably seen it by now. A viral video of a visitor giving a drink of water to a squirrel at the Grand Canyon.
While the video may appear cute and heartwarming, officials from the Grand Canyon National Park have a message to everyone who watches the clip: resist the urge to feed wild animals.
"It can be hard to resist helping what seems to be a helpless woodland creature, but remember that they can always find their own water and food -- they're wild," a Facebook post read from the park read.
The reminder is an effort to limit the unnecessary interactions between people and wildlife.
"Please practice being safe and keep our wildlife wild. Bites and injuries from animals like squirrels and elk occur when these wild animals get used to people food and develop aggressive behaviors," reads the post.

Zitat

There's a dubious accolade for Arizona's biggest tourist attraction:
Among the most-visited U.S. national parks, Grand Canyon gets the most lightning strikes.
Grand Canyon National Park averaged 15,854 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per year from 2008 to 2017, according to the National Lightning Detection Network.
Zion National Park in Utah was second with about 5,700 lightning strikes per year, followed by Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee with about 4,000.
The National Lightning Detection Network is based in Tucson and operated by Vaisala, a Finnish company that provides extensive lightning and other data to meteorologists.

Zitat

Describing hiking trails at Grand Canyon as easy sounds like a contradiction, but just it’s a matter of choosing the right direction. Start walking east or west and you’ll generally enjoy a lovely woodland stroll. Turn north or south and you’ll encounter a pretty steep drop-off.
So give your knees and lungs a break. Here are the best easy trails at Grand Canyon National Park (with a couple of moderate ones). Stay mostly atop the rims and enjoy the cooler temperatures. And, oh yeah, the views aren’t bad either.

Grand Canyon National Park Implements Temporary Road and Trail Closures on the North Rim; Obi Fire Grows to 2,270 Acres

Zitat

Grand Canyon National Park will implement closures of the Cape Royal Road, Cape Final Trail, and Cliff Spring Trail tomorrow August 4th, 2018 at 9:00 pm. This closure is for public and firefighter safety as crews continue to prep the Walhalla Plateau. Park visitors currently planning on driving along Cape Royal Road or hiking at Cape Final or Cliff Spring are required to be out of the area by 9:00 pm. tomorrow. The temporary closure is in effect until further notice. The road to Point Imperial and all other North Rim trails and facilities are open at this time.

The Obi Fire is approximately 2,270 acres. Growth today was primarily in the northern and eastern portions of the fire perimeter. Light southwesterly winds throughout the day allowed fire to grow through pine needles and downed logs. Fire behavior was active with single tree torching and surface fire of one to four foot flames where the fire was consuming dead logs. "While crews continue prep of the Walhalla Plateau, we would like to acknowledge the inconvenience it creates for visitors and appreciate their understanding in prioritizing firefighter and public safety," said Incident Commander trainee Bryan Hakanson.

Located in the far southwest corner of the Wahalla Plateau above Obi Point, the Obi Fire started on July 21st. Fire managers plan to continue the strategy of confining and containing the lightning caused fire in a predetermined area while providing for point protection of identified sensitive natural and cultural resources.

Smoke from the Obi Fire is visible from both the North and South Rims of the park. Visitors may see increased smoke or haze filling the canyon.

Each fire start is evaluated by fire management officials for the most appropriate management strategy. Firefighter safety, resources at risk, location of the fire, available resources, regional and national preparedness levels, and weather forecast are taken into consideration when responding to a wildfire ignition.

Zitat

Lodging and tourism facilities will reopen on the Havasupai Reservation more than a month after a catastrophic flash flood tore through the campground.
Several waves of flooding hit Supai village and Havasu campground July 10 and 11, stranding 200 tourists and washing out trails and footbridges. The storm caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to facilities, forcing the tribe to close down all tourism, the main driver of its economy. Supai was cut off from most necessities, such as food, mail and medical supplies, for several weeks as tribal and National Park Service crews worked to removed large boulders blocking the only trail into and out of the village.
The tribe reported Aug. 29, however, that all necessary repairs have been completed and the campground and lodge will reopen as planned Sept. 1. Tribal officials advise visitors to be prepared for rain storms typically associated with monsoon season, which can last through the end of September.
Tourists and tribal members weren’t the only ones affected by July’s floods — animals on the reservation were also impacted. To help replenish food stores for the animals, the Humane Society of the United States donated about $5,000 worth of food and supplies.
“We were saddened to learn of the recent damage from flooding in Supai, a village we visit several times a year to provide care and treatment to area animals as a part of our partnership with the Havasupai Tribe,” said Kellye Pinkleton, Arizona’s senior state director for HSUS. “We were honored to provide feed and hay to area horses, dogs and cats to assist in their disaster recovery efforts.”
Among the items delivered were 20 50-pound bags of dog food; 10 40-pound bags of cat food; 40 salt blocks; 12 bales of Bermuda hay; 12 bales of alfalfa hay and 320 50-pound bags of horse feed. The supplies were purchased from Olsen’s Grain in Flagstaff and were transported by the Coconino County Emergency Management Department to a storage warehouse maintained by the tribe, whose animal control office will be responsible for distribution of the items to tribal members.
“The unstable and dangerous conditions of the affected areas make it difficult for us to get the needed supplies for our animals in Supai,” said Havasupai Chairwoman Muriel Coochwytewa. “We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Humane Society of the United States.”

Zitat

The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear a mining industry challenge to a 20-year ban on new uranium mining near the Grand Canyon National Park. The ban was put in place in 2012 to protect drinking water and the outstanding natural and cultural significance of the Grand Canyon watershed.
Scott Miller, The Wilderness Society’s Senior Regional Director for the Southwest Region welcomed this announcement as a victory, ending six years of unsuccessful litigation by the mining industry:
“There are places where drilling and mining do not belong, and the Grand Canyon watershed is one of those places. With the ban on new mining securely in place, this crown jewel of our public lands will remain protected from a new rush of uranium mining activity that has already left a toxic legacy in parts of the Grand Canyon region, including tribal lands.”
The Wilderness Society congratulates the Havasupai Tribe, the coalition of conservation groups, and their attorneys at Earthjustice who fought to defend the ban.

Zitat

Go Grand

On February 26, 2019, Grand Canyon National Park celebrates 100 years at Grand Canyon. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Grand Canyon welcomes approximately six million domestic and international visitors each year. After 100 years, whether its hiking a corridor trail, taking a stroll on the rim or enjoying the landscape from an overlook, Grand Canyon continues to provide a space for all visitors to connect with the outdoors.

This 2019, Grand Canyon National Park will commemorate the past and inspire future generations to experience, connect with, and protect the park's unique natural, cultural, and historic resources.

Whether you are a regular visitor, a national park traveler or virtual explorer, Grand Canyon National Park hopes that you are inspired to experience and connect with a park that has inspired 100 years of stewardship and will continue to delight visitors and stewards for another 100 years! Come, be inspired, and Go Grand.